The book Quiet Please! and other humorous tales, published in the summer, is a quirky collection of short stories in the old tradition of Patricia Highsmith or even Katherine Mansfield.
Denise Dumont has created numerous snapshots of humour which you can dip into. Heart-warming, funny, and surprising, Quiet Please! introduces us to a puppy, a wasp, a magic mirror, a wizard, a smelly house, and much more.
The short story format comes in and out of fashion, but I have always appreciated material that can be conveyed over a couple of pages. Beginning, middle and end.
Dumont has an easy and clear writing style that displays significant imagination and flights of fancy. I found myself chuckle at some of her plots and twists, wherever I landed in the book.
This collection is the product of work in creative writing classes, and shows the flair of an author dedicated to the craft of this tricky artform.
There are 20 stories in Quiet Please! all written with the desire to elicit a laugh or to charm the reader. There’s nothing difficult, disturbing or complicated about them. They are just moments to relax with after a busy day, at lunch, or before bed.
It’s great to see the art of short-form prose continuing in collections of stories like this one. Make yourself a cup of tea and settle down with Dumont’s cast of crazy characters and diverting plots.
Quiet Please! by Denise Dumont is available now from Amazon.